Murim Login - Chapter 375
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 375
There is an order even to visiting the sick.
At the news that Dang Sa-dok, the family head and elder of the clan, had awakened, the members of the Tang Sect dropped everything and rushed over.
However, not all of the hundred or so people could see Dang Sa-dok.
“Benefactor, when will we be able to see Grandfather Dang?”
“Who knows. The people ahead have been inside for quite a while now, so they should be coming out soon.”
“Ah, I see.”
Chung Poong nods at my response.
Wait, hold on. Chung Poong?
“When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
He had blended in so naturally that I hadn’t even noticed his presence. But why had he come to this place?
As if reading my confusion, Chung Poong pointed to his chest and answered.
“Mi-mi said she wanted to see me.”
“…?”
What exactly did I just hear?
Now he’s even communicating properly. Is this bastard perhaps from Slytherin instead of the Huashan Sect?
Chung Poong tilted his head at my suspicious gaze.
“Why are you suddenly staring at my forehead? Is there something on it?”
“Just checking if you have a lightning-bolt scar there.”
“Pardon?”
“You do.”
The moment those words left my lips.
Click.
The firmly closed door of the Medical Hall opened, and about a dozen people appeared.
They were among the few direct descendants of the Sichuan Tang Sect, and among them was Dang Ho-ryong, whom I had met before.
“Sigh….”
He looked up at the sky with bloodshot eyes and walked toward us.
“The family head wishes to see you.”
“We have been waiting.”
Jin Wi-kyung nodded and led the way, while Chung Poong and I followed him into the Medical Hall.
After walking through the pervasive scent of medicinal decoctions, we entered the medical chamber guided by a Physician whose nose and mouth were covered with white cloth, and at last we could face familiar faces.
“Cough, you came.”
The condition of Dang Sa-dok, who was struggling to suppress a cough, looked grave at first glance.
Broken limbs and internal injuries caused unstable energy to emanate from him.
The Divine Physician, who exchanged greetings with us, stopped him as he tried to raise his upper body.
“Family head, did I not tell you not to move?”
“This old man is a criminal. Having committed sins worthy of death, it is only right that I accept punishment.”
Dang Sa-dok, his face pale, shook his head and continued, looking directly at me.
“I will make no pathetic excuses. The Western Heavenly Demon Lord’s journey to the Underground Prison was because I revealed it.”
I crossed my arms at an angle.
“Ah, so that’s why.”
“…?”
“Why did you do it?”
Dang Sa-dok asked with a bewildered expression.
“Did you know from the beginning?”
“Of course I didn’t know at first. I was too caught up in everything back then. But later, when I thought about it carefully, I wondered—how did that bastard, the Western Heavenly Demon Lord, ever learn the location of the Poison Antidote Pool?”
From the start, only a handful of people knew where the Poison Antidote Pool was located.
Chung Poong appeared light as a petal on the surface, but was as solid as tree roots—there was only one person he would have revealed it to, and that was Dang Sa-dok.
“Why did you do it?”
“…He said if I told him the location of the Poison Antidote Pool, he would preserve the family’s bloodline.”
“You believed that?”
“This old man was foolish. For a moment, my judgment clouded, and I committed a deed I should never have done.”
“You understand it now, at least.”
Dang Sa-dok’s eyes trembled as he gazed at me.
“That this old man survived must be Heaven’s will—that I should apologize to you all and accept my punishment.”
“Then, what punishment do you desire, Family Head?”
The owner of the cold voice that suddenly spoke was Jin Wi-kyung, who had been listening to the conversation in silence.
“Are you the Young Lord of the Taewon Jin Family?”
“Yes. I am also the elder brother who raised your two younger brothers as my own sons.”
From Jin Wi-kyung’s deeply sunken eyes, an unmistakable fury seeped through, impossible to conceal.
“One who walks the righteous path should never have done such a thing.”
“I know. Yes, I know. That is precisely why I seek atonement.”
“What if I demanded you take your own life?”
“…!”
Everyone, myself included, stared at Jin Wi-kyung with shocked eyes.
However, there was one exception—Dang Sa-dok alone.
He opened his mouth with an expression of utter composure.
“I betrayed righteousness and duty, yet thanks to you all fighting with your lives on the line, I was able to preserve the Main Residence’s bloodline. If this worthless old man’s life can atone for that sin, I shall do so gladly.”
After a brief silence came Jin Wi-kyung’s sigh.
“Sigh….”
He gazed at Dang Sa-dok with complicated eyes, then turned his head toward me.
“What will you do?”
“…What do you mean? Take his life?”
“Whatever you decide.”
Suddenly a sword hilt was placed in my hand, and my heart felt heavy and tight.
Especially since the life hanging from that sword hilt belonged to the Family Head of the Sichuan Poison Sect.
‘The atmosphere just turned grim, didn’t it.’
Of course, this wasn’t something to laugh off carelessly. I’m no paragon of justice with a broad heart, and honestly, when I grasped the full truth of the matter, anger surged within me.
After all, everyone’s lives had been on the line in that situation.
But….
“That’s enough. I don’t wish to go that far.”
Yes, in a way I understood Dang Sa-dok’s position.
If I had to weigh the life of an outsider I’d only seen a few times against the blood relatives I must protect with my life as the head of a clan, I would have made the same choice.
‘Besides, there was a debt from before.’
Dang Sa-dok’s assistance played a significant role in allowing Jeok Cheon-gang to awaken.
Though there had been some manner of transaction involved, it was Dang Sa-dok who had lent out a divine artifact without even informing his own bloodline.
“So let’s call it even. Wipe the slate clean. No, that’s too much—let’s say the Sichuan Poison Sect now owes us a great debt instead.”
As my words ended, Chung Poong and the Divine Physician spoke up.
“It’s true that Grandfather made a mistake that endangered our benefactor… but I’ll follow the benefactor’s wishes.”
“I’ve already forgotten it. As a physician, all I wish for is the clan head’s swift recovery. There are still surviving family members who need care.”
The last to speak was Jin Wi-kyung. Unlike before, I no longer sensed any anger from him.
Or perhaps Jin Wi-kyung had known my answer from the very beginning.
“So that is the case. What are your thoughts, Clan Head?”
“…!”
Dang Sa-dok’s eyes trembled with turbulent emotion as he looked at us.
After a brief silence, a hoarse voice escaped from between his lips.
“This old man… the Sichuan Poison Sect has received a great kindness from you all.”
It was at that very moment when Dang Sa-dok bowed his head with sincerity.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
– Confessing one’s sins is difficult, but there exists something that requires even greater courage. That is forgiveness.
– Hidden Quest,
[Apology and Forgiveness]
has been successfully completed!
–
[Lv.115 Dang Sa-dok]
expresses deep gratitude for your goodwill. He and the
[Sichuan Poison Sect]
shall never forget today’s kindness and aid, and the people of the
[Sichuan Poison Sect]
will remember you as their benefactor!
– Title,
[Benefactor of the Poison Sect]
has been acquired!
– You have obtained substantial experience and renown as a reward for completing the Hidden Quest!
– Level Up!
What is this? A Hidden Quest out of nowhere?
As I stood bewildered by the sudden system notifications, something cold brushed past between my legs.
Chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp.
“Mi-mi, you little rascal.”
Watching Mi-mi and Dang Sa-dok reunite after so long, I suddenly recalled something I had nearly forgotten.
“Ah, speaking of the Venom Antidote Pill—fortunately, I’ve been keeping it safe all this time….”
“Is that so?”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Dang Sa-dok interjected abruptly.
“Then continue to keep it.”
“Yes, so I’ll continue… Yes?”
“I entrust you with a treasure of the Main Residence. It is a token of my gratitude—please do not refuse.”
Ding.
– In accordance with the owner’s will,
[Venom Antidote Pill]
has been transferred to you!
– A new item becomes bound to you!
– Currently bound items in your possession:
[White Flame]
,
[Venom Antidote Pill]
,
[???]
.
– There is a bound item that has not yet been named. Please assign it a new name.
What kind of day is this?
I’m genuinely anxious, wondering what kind of ridiculous events are about to unfold that would warrant such generosity.
Watching me gape like a goldfish, Dang Sa-dok offered a faint smile.
“If any of you have desires, please speak them. The Main Residence will fulfill whatever lies within our power.”
The Divine Physician responded with a gentle laugh.
“If I may wish for something, it is only that the patients recover as swiftly as possible.”
“Hmm.”
A truly worthy answer from the Divine Physician. Or should I now call him Dong Bong?
But one thing was certain—he too was another Divine Physician.
“And what do you desire?”
Chung Poong was startled by the sudden question.
“Me, me?”
As Dang Sa-dok nodded, Chung Poong fidgeted nervously before answering.
“Well… that is to say. Um. Nothing.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. I don’t think I want anything.”
“….”
“….”
You fool. Take your eyes off Mi-mi and speak honestly.
I wanted to bring a mirror and show him—his eyes were brimming with longing and yearning directed entirely at Mi-mi.
Just as I thought the snake’s skin might tear from the pressure, Dang Sa-dok finally spoke.
“This creature has been my cherished companion for decades. It was the only being with whom I could share the full spectrum of joy and sorrow—emotions I could never reveal to anyone else.”
Chung Poong gazed at Dang Sa-dok with sympathetic eyes.
“It seems you have no other friends, Elder Dang.”
“I never cultivated any. Such was the burden of being the patriarch of the Tang Sect.”
“So you truly had no friends.”
“It wasn’t that I had none—I could have made them, but….”
“You didn’t have a single friend. How pitiful.”
“….”
The Divine Physician urgently seized Dang Sa-dok by the shoulders.
“Patriarch! Please calm yourself. Your breathing is far too rapid!”
“Huff, huff.”
“Breathe deeply and slowly. Come now, follow my lead—one, two….”
“Huuuuff….”
Moments later, having barely escaped the brink of a hypertensive crisis, Dang Sa-dok turned to Chung Poong and opened his mouth.
“But I would entrust Mi-mi to you….”
Chung Poong covered his mouth with both hands.
“No, Elder Dang. I cannot take away your only friend.”
“…I haven’t even offered her yet.”
“Oh. Oh my.”
Dang Sa-dok exhaled deeply. For that brief moment, he had undoubtedly been wondering whether he could truly entrust Mi-mi to this boy.
“Indeed, you’ve guessed correctly. Given the uncertain future of the Main Residence, I wish to entrust Mi-mi to your care. Of course, only temporarily.”
“Yay!”
“Did you hear the last part I said? Temporarily.”
“Yay!”
He hadn’t heard—he was already grabbing Hyuk Moo-jin’s right wrist.
Having become Mi-mi’s temporary guardian, Chung Poong was beside himself with joy.
“Don’t worry! I’ll take wonderful care of her!”
“From what I observed last time, Mi-mi does seem to follow you well, but her temperament is naturally difficult, and she’s quite wary of strangers….”
“Mi-mi. Do a whirlwind spin and then twirl around and bow!”
Whirrrrr!
“Good heavens.”
He’s pulling out new techniques here.
Jin Wi-kyung, half-dazed by the sight he’d never witnessed before, muttered in a vacant voice.
“It seems the patriarch’s concerns are entirely unfounded.”
An earthquake erupted in Dang Sa-dok’s eyes.
Dang Sa-dok requested a private word with Jin Wi-kyung and asked us to leave the room first. I and Chung Poong departed.
Well, actually, one more person had just joined us.
“So-hyup. Might you spare this old man some of your time?”
“Me?”
The Divine Physician nodded with a serene smile.
“Before I depart, there is something I must ask of you.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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